Memory

ISBN-13: 9780521572101 / Angielski / Twarda / 1998 / 208 str.

Darwin College;Patricia Fara (University of Cambridge);Karalyn Patterson (University of Cambridge)

Opis

Memory is both a private, personal phenomenon and a collective interpretation of history by society. The concept of memory has long intrigued scientists, philosophers, and scholars alike. This fascinating volume explores some of the many ways that individuals and societies remember, forget, and commemorate events of the past. The collection of eight essays, representing some of the most engaging contemporary voices in the arts and sciences, takes a unique interdisciplinary approach to address the relationships between individual experience and collective memory. Many would expect scientists to be concerned with studying only the mental and physical processes involved in remembering; and humanities scholars to be interested in only the products of memory, such as literature, art, and music. Memory exposes the falseness of such a dichotomy by illustrating the insights into memory that can be gained by juxtaposing the complementary perspectives of specialists venturing past the normal boundaries of their disciplines. The authors represent fields as diverse as psychoanalysis, creative writing, neuroscience, social history, and medicine; but explore concepts beyond their areas of notoriety, providing textured, complete, and sometimes personal views of the meaning of memory. This thought-provoking and unusual collection will delight a wide variety of readers. Contributors: Richard Sennett, Catherine Hall, A. S. Byatt, Jack Goody, Juliet Mitchell, Barbara Wilson, Steven Rose, Terrence Sejnowski.

Recenzje

"A novelist, an anthropologist, a neuropsychologist, and a biologist, among others, have contributed essays in this volume on the meaning of memory. They investigate the physical processes involved in remembering, as well as such products of memory as literature, art, and music." Natural History

Spis treści

Introduction Patricia Fara and Karalyn Patterson; 1. Disturbing memories Richard Sennett; 2. 'Turning a blind eye': memories of empire Catherine Hall; 3. Memory and the making of fiction A. S. Byatt; 4. Memory in oral tradition Jack Goody; 5. Memory and psychoanalysis Juliet Mitchell; 6. When memory fails Barbara A. Wilson; 7. How brains make memories Steven P. R. Rose; 8. Memory and neural networks Terrence Sejnowski; Notes on contributors; Acknowledgements; Index.